I receive frequent inquiries from people
who wonder how they can redeem their $1,000,000 bills printed by the American Bank Note Company.

Front

Back

Before we go any further, let me offer some facts:

Million dollar notes are NOT redeemable.
Million dollar notes are NOT worth a million dollars.
Million dollar notes are NOT legitimate currency.

The bill shown above does have SOME collectible value.
Million dollar notes ARE fantasy notes.
Million dollar notes ARE strictly souvenirs.

The note illustrated at the top of the page was printed on intaglio presses and is incredibly well-engraved. This particular note first came
to my attention in 1988. It was engraved by American Bank
Note Company for the International Association of Millionaires (IAM).
When initially released, IAM sold "million dollar" notes for around $25 each.

In 1988, the
note shown above was accompanied by a four-color brochure that explained the
note's security features. Additional promotional
materials included a "Certificate of Authenticity."

Approximately 4,000 people come to this page each year. The vast majority have one of the high-quality notes printed by ABNCo. They are the same
size as modern U.S. currency. The engraving and printing is the same quality as U.S. currency and the paper is somewhat similar.

When initially printed, the bills had security features that had not yet been used on American currency. Since that time, the U.S. government has (thankfully) closed the gap.

The printing is such high quality that people get confused.

If you came to this page because of the million dollar note shown at the top of this page, examine your note closely. You will find
text explaining that your "million dollar" bill
is worthless. It says:

This
certificate of wealth is not a representation or facsimile of
any past or present U.S. financial obligation. (front)

Non-negotiable. (back)

This certificate is backed
and secured only by confidence in the American dream. (back)

People often wonder whether their notes are salable. Yes, there is a small secondary market for the American Bank Company note illustrated here.

If you
want to learn more about the American Bank Note Company notes, please contact
some of the many fine dealers who sell these souvenirs. You may find
them on the web by searching for "million dollar bill" (with
quotes).

While there is a small market for the IAM bills printed by the American Bank Note Company, there is NO MARKET WHATSOEVER for souvenir "million dollar bills" printed on ordinary paper with ordinary offset presses. While all imitate U.S. currency to some degree, they are purely fantasies. Most are so amateurish that none should fool anyone.

These kinds of "million dollar notes" are nothing more than souvenirs. Most are used as promotional giveaways. They can be purchased in volume for as little
as 8 cents each. You may see examples of these ordinary million dollar bills here. (The example shown here is extraordinary in that it was printed on a four-color press with excellent color registration. Still it sold for only a few cents.)